That One Unpredictable Summer with Travis Stoll
by DEDEBUG9
Summary: Given the choice between being hit with a sack of potatoes or spending a summer as Travis Stoll's neighbor, she would've taken the potatoes. This summer was going to be anything but ordinary.. TRATIE.
1. The Day Everything Changed

**Acknowledgments  
**I wish I had someone to dedicate this too but I don't so I dedicate it to my cat who is occasionally pretty cool.  
This story is basically me RELEASING MY INNER JOHN GREEN. (that actually wasn't meant to be in caps but ya know what Idc)  
It's semi emotional. You may cry ok.  
The rating is like PG 13? Idk. If you can read TFIOS or looking for alaska then you're good bro. :3  
sorry for that. Read on Nuggets.

**Chapter 1**

**Hey Neighbor**

June 13, 2012

Moves are supposed to be a good thing, right? New friends and new adventures awaiting you? Well at least they're described as that on the pamphlets my dad gave me and in crappy tween , I was feeling anything but excitement for "new adventures" as my dad had described this unfortunate turn of events. It was the summer before college and all I really wanted was to hang out with my friends before I'd end up never seeing them again. You know the whole, "We'll keep in touch for about a month and then I'll never call you again" thing.

But I guess it wasn't so bad. I mean, I couldn't really complain. We could have moved into a trailer park instead of the cute and quiet New England neighborhood my dad chose. The house he chose was a two-story, white with black roof, typical suburban home for a family of four. Except we were a family of two. My dad was one of those people that always got more than he needed.

"It's cute." I said as I got out of the car. My dad frowned up at it as if he was trying to find something wrong with it. "Yeah. I guess so." He replied as the moving truck pulled up behind us.

I sighed, "You're the one who decided we get it!"

"I know.." He shrugged, "It's just the whole fence situation." I looked at the white picket fence surrounding the house. You could hardly call it a situation. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but my dad was a critic so criticizing stuff was kind of his thing.

I picked up my box labeled, 'Katie's Crap.' "Well, we could always fix the fence, dad." I reassured him despite the fact I enjoyed the perfectness of the fence. Maybe it was the slight OCD, but I thought things looked best neat and orderly and perfect.

When we went inside, I noticed the house was stripped bare. It'd take forever to move in all our furniture.. I smiled when I saw that we had a fireplace. That would be so awesome to curl up in an armchair with a cup of tea and absorbed in a book. Well if it wasn't summer and 80 degrees out..

"The living room is great." I said at about the exact time a baseball hurled through the window. I covered my face even though I was far from the window. I had a habit of flinching like that in gym class when we'd play dodgeball even when the throw wasn't aimed at me. Still, wasn't going to risk the glass hitting and destroying my perfect face! (just kidding, I'm not that self centered. but you get the idea. Glass + eyes = bad.)

"Jesus christ!" My dad yelled. "What the hell just happened?"

I picked up the dirty ball with a disgusted expression. "A ball broke our window."

He replied dryly, "Already got that.." He swore under his breath and started picking up the shards of glass on the floor. "Watch your step, ok? The last thing I need is to take you to the hospital and have the glass be surgically removed from your foot." That was an optimistic thought, dad..

There was a knock on the door. "My guess is that's the parents of the brats who did that." I said bitterly and opened the door to two tall curly haired teenagers. They looked strikingly alike. Twins, probably.

"Hey this is an awful way to meet our new neighbors, but uh we're here to apologize about your window." The taller of the two said with a sheepish grin.

I snorted. "Apology not accepted till you pay for our window." They raised their eyebrows and looked at each other, shocked at my response. But seriously, I was not going to pay for their carelessness.

"Katie," My dad called from the living room, "Don't be so hard on them, they're just kids." Was my dad really going to do that? We weren't poor or anything but we just bought the flipping house..

The shorter one perked up, "Actually we're not kids. I'm Connor and I'm sixteen and Travis here is 18." Travis elbowed him and gave a look as if to say, 'not really helping here.'

"Thanks for sharing." I called out to my dad, "See Dad, they're perfectly capable of paying us."

Travis opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut when I gave him my famous death glare. That's how I got my nickname Katie 'Death Glare' Gardner. (Ok that's not actually a real nickname but it should be, so yeah.)

My dad limped over. He'd been limping for a month now, always saying it was a bad hip or something. (Or he was secretly a male stripper and accidentally pulled a muscle one night at the club and is lying to me to try and not ruin my life and make me feel uncomfortable) But probably not..

Connor winced. "Me and Travis will make it up to you, I swear. Sorry again for breaking your window Mr.."

"Gardner." My Dad smiled. Why was he being friendly with the devil children who broke our window? "I'm Dan, and this is my daughter Katherine Winifred who isn't as rude as she appears." (True fact)

He gave my shoulder a squeeze and I gave a disgusted look. Like thanks for telling them my hideous full name dad. Gee whiz I don't think they could use that against me at all. I mean, they just seemed like boys who would do that...

"Where do you boys live?" He asked them.

Travis smiled back at my dad. He wasn't hot or anything, but he wasn't ugly either despite his noticeably flawed nose and teeth. He was cute in sort of a scruffy little puppy way. Bottom line, not really my type.

"We live right across the street. My mom will probably end up bringing over a lasagna later."

Connor made a gagging noise, "Don't eat it though, she can't cook at all." My dad laughed. "Thanks for the tip."

After that, the two boys headed back over to their house. Of course we'd end up with teenage boy neighbors! They'd probably have parties and break a few more windows, maybe even blow up a house or two. This was just a no from me.

"They seem really nice." My dad said cheerfully.

Sorry but I wasn't going to agree with him on that one. I'd expected him to get super pissed over this and maybe leave their mother an angry voicemail. Where was my dad's normally negative outlook on life?

"Did you forget they hit a baseball through our window?"

He shrugged and unloaded a few dishes from a cardboard box. "I used to do shit like that with my brothers all the time. You don't get what it's like to be a boy Katie, you gotta look at it from their point of view."

I went over to help him, since I knew he was going to put it all in the wrong cabinets and our kitchen would look like apes organized it. "Well I wouldn't

know. Last time I checked I had girl parts."

"Why are you so agitated about this anyways?" He questioned.

In all honesty, I wasn't even sure. I just got a bad vibe from those boys. Maybe it was the mischievous smiles or the up to no good twinkle in their eyes? "I just don't feel like replacing a window."

"You're like you're mom, you know that right?" He said, which was probably not a compliment. My mother was liked by few but still one of the most intriguing and beautiful women you'd ever meet.

"So I'm a nagging, fun sucker who cheats on her husband with college students and-" My dad covered my mouth. "Shh, Katie. I know you're not in the best place with your mom right now, but I fell in love with her so you know she couldn't be that bad."

I let out a snort. "Let me guess, it was the endearing way she'd tell you how everything you did was wrong?"

"Definitely that." My dad said sarcastically. "Why don't you go to bed, kiddo. It's been a long day."

I almost went to go up the stairs but then I remembered the time. "Dad, it's six o'clock."

"Oh."

~0~

**Ok ok. I know this chapter sucked.. But give me a chance please and like follow it I swear it gets better! I've already finished it so I won't abandon it I just.. It's going to be very emotional and tbh the later chapters are like the best work I've ever done.. **

**Reviews are loooove...**

**~*DEDEBUG9*~**


	2. The Party Virgin

**Author's Note**  
HI FRIENDS!  
Hey! Guess who updated in a week like I promised? ME.  
Thanks for clicking that next chapter button, kids.  
Without further ado, (is that how you spell it? It looks really weird?) I present to you chapter 2.  
*pats everyone's heads*

**Chapter 2**  
**the party virgin**

June 14, 2012

My eyes fluttered open when the sunlight streamed into my room and basically blinded me for a total of 3.7 seconds. I rolled over and pushed my face into my pillow thinking that maybe if I ignored the fact that the sun was at its brightest and that it was one in the afternoon that Id fall back into a peaceful sleep.

That was not the case.

So I was tired, but I got up and made my way down the hall, Trudging down a flight of steps, and finally reaching the kitchen to get my breakfast. which in my opinion is equivalent to walking in the bataan death march.

"Good morning Katie." I said in my raspy morning man voice as a poured myself a whopping bowl of honey nut Cheerios. I'm probably the only non senior citizen/toddler who eats Cheerios but it's whatever.

Judging by the silence of the house, my dad wasn't up yet. But that was fine. It gave me some time to finish unpacking or maybe read a book. I started off by making a list of everything I needed to do. But before I could write anything down there was a knock at the door.

I groaned. It was probably just my dad locked out of the house. It wouldn't have been the first time. Or it could've been a Jehovah witness and I'd be stuck at the door for hours. I took the chance and opened it. I mentally prepared a speech about how I really didn't want to buy a religious calendar from them.

On my doorstep stood neither my dad or a Jehovah's Witness. It was one of the annoying neighbors with a plate of what looked like Lasagna, but I couldn't be a hundred percent sure.

"Hey neighbor." He said in a cheerful voice. "My mom made you guys some lasagna." He handed it to me and I took it with reluctance.

"Uh thanks.."

I started to close the door but he pushed it back open. "Your dad home?" He asked.

"No.." What did he want to have some sort of manly play date with my dad?

He grinned and invited himself in. "Awesome. Now seems like a good time to fulfil my promise to make it up to you for breaking your window."

Did he have the money? Because that sentence really did not sound good. "What do you mean by that, because that could go two ways-" he interrupted me with a chuckle (more of a giggle actually)

"Seriously? Do I look like the kind of dude who would come to your house and take advantage of the fact that your parents weren't home. Gosh Katherine Winifred, you really have that little of faith in me?" I wanted to reply 'Yes' but I bit the word back.

"Well, I don't know you. And word of advice, don't call me Katherine Winifred again." I cringed when I said my full name. Really Mom and dad? Of all the middle names…? "It's just Katie."

He shrugged. "Whatever, I still like Winifred." He finally noticed the bowl of cereal in my hands. "Cute cereal by the way. You do realize it's 4 in the afternoon, right?"

4 in the afternoon? Shit. Had I actually slept the whole day away? "Maybe I like cereal? Ever thought of that, Travis?"

"Sassy." He chuckled. "So, I still need to repay you for the broken window." I held my breath, afraid for what this boy was going to suggest. I was still a little wary since it involved my dad not being home.

"Where's your favorite place to go?" He asked with a big smile.

Not exactly the question I was preparing for.. "Um. The library?"

He made a buzzer sound. "Wrong answer! You were supposed to say a party."

No. No. No. I was not going to a party with.. Him. Any person with common sense could see that this just spelled out disaster.

"So.. You wanna come?" He put on his best pout and got on his knees. I rolled my eyes and asked myself why my life was so difficult.

This had its pros and cons. I mean, I could always just ditch him and make new friends. I really wanted to make new friends. But I also had never been to a party..

His soft blue eyes were getting wider and reaching the size of saucers. "Ugh. Fine.." She'd only go to see what the party was like, not because his sad puppy face was cute..

He pulled me into a suffocating and awkward hug. (I almost tripped face first into the concrete steps) 'We're gonna have so much fun! Let's go." And with that I was dragged into his completely beaten down truck that looked like it was from the 80s, but hey we can't all afford new cars.

"This is Old Bessie." He said proudly, staring down at the piece of junk with wheels as if it was his first born child who'd just graduated from Harvard.

I fought back a laugh. "Old Bessie? Ok, you're kidding right?"

"I dunno." He gave her a pat and I expected it to fall to pieces, "It's what the guy I bought it from told me to call her."

"Right.." I said and climbed into the passenger seat. There were a few tears in the seats and foam was coming out of them, but they were pretty damn comfortable. "Are you sure this thing is safe?" I questioned.

He let out a gasp. I wasn't sure if it was fake or not.. "Katherine Winifred, first you accuse me of wanting to sleep with you and now you're questioning Old Bessie's safety!?"

I blushed and focused my eyes on the empty McDonalds wrappers "I never accused you of anything.."

He chuckled. "I can honestly promise you that you won't die in my car. Mayble get seriously injured but-" I hit his shoulder playfully, despite the fact I was dying inside from fear of the brakes going out or him just not keeping his eyes on the road.

"Where is the party?" My voice was a little shaky.

"My friends house." Was all he said. "Ready to have a blast?" He pulled into a town street. I noticed a bunch of cars parked ahead. That must have been the party. "I guess?"

He pulled over. "You ok? You sound a little nervous?"

"Yeah." I didn't know why I told him, but better safe than sorry right? "I've just never been to a party before.." I was never popular in high school. I had a small group of friends, but none of them were popular.. I never really cared about parties either.

"Woah. You're a party virgin.." He stared at me like I was a dying species. i looked away feeling a bit embarrassed. Was it really that uncommon?

"Yeah. So what?"

He ruffled my hair, making me feel like a dog. "C'mon kiddo, time to experience the best night of your life. I'll take you under my wing so nothing happens to you." Ugh. A whole night with Travis? No thanks.. Why'd I agree to this anyways?

"Percy's parties are never that big, and it doesn't get too crazy." We got out of Old Bessie (I thanked god for the safe trip)

"That's.. reassuring." I avoided two drunk girls stumbling out of the house. I could feel the music booming in my chest as I walked in. Travis pulled me by my hand (which was not my choice, his grip was just too strong for me to pull away)

He waved over a cute and tall guy with dark, shaggy hair and sea green eyes. "Hey Percy!" He walked over and handed us two plastic blue cups with suspicious liquid in it. "This is Katie. she's a party virgin." I felt myself blushing in front of Percy, who was pretty hot.

"Really?" Percy asked, eyes wide. "Take this instead" He exchanged my blue cup for a wine cooler, which I guess was better than whatever I had before.

I whispered to Travis, "Is it really bad that I've never been to a party before?" He shook his head. "Nah. it's cute." I frowned and sat down on the unoccupied couch. Maybe I could just sit here the whole time?

"I'll be right back." Travis said to me. I nodded. The music kind of sucked so I took a sip of my wine cooler. After that one sip, I decided to not take another. i rolled my eyes and a couple fell onto the couch and started making out.

"Excuse me?" I said to them. My efforts were ignored so I huffed and got up from the couch and wandered around the house. Sure, Travis told me to stay on the couch but the house wasn't that big right.?

Yeah, I thought wrong, because after ten minutes of walking around the house, the place only got louder and more crowded. I didn't want to look like a loser and shout his name. So far, parties sucked.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned around, expecting to see Travis and I was ready to clobber him for leaving me alone. But instead it was a blonde guy.

"Hey. I've never seen you around before. I'm Dakota." He held out a beer. "Want a drink?"

I pushed the drink away, "No thanks, I don't drink."

"Aww, c'mon. Have a little fun with me?" He got closer and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. "No really, I don't drink." I felt good not giving into peer pressure. I was for once in my life putting all the peer pressure stuff I learned in middle school to use.

"Well at least dance with me." He said and pulled me to the floor. The living room was crowded with bodies that all smelled like BO. I almost threw up when some boy's armpit was over my head. Dakota started.. grinding on me? He was so drunk I couldn't tell what he was doing.

"Hey Katie!" I heard Travis call. Finally! I wanted to scream. "Dakota. Get off of her." He pushed the tall blonde boy away and led me out of the crowd. it was like ocean waves, you kept getting pulled back in.

Travis kept me close to him and I could feel his heart beating against my cheek. I wasn't too fond on how close we were, but it was better than the ocean of drunk teenagers, so I held on. "What're you doing hanging around with them?" He asked.

"I don't know, you left me on that couch for the sharks!" I screeched. I felt a bit panicked and I asked him if we could leave.

"Yeah. This party blows. I told Percy to change the music.."

~0~

When we were back into the safety of Travis's car (If you could call that safety) he finally asked me if I was ok.

"Yep. I can say I definitely will not let you take me anywhere else." And I meant that.

He chuckled. "Hey! You're speaking way too soon. I guess that wasn't the best way to repay you for the window."

I looked out the car window. The window didn't close all the way. That probably sucked when it rained or snowed.. I watched the rows of identical houses. "Forget the window. It'll just be best if you leave me alone." I offered.

We were neighbors, but did that mean we had to be friends too?

"What?" He asked. "I'll pay you in trident layers ok." He started laughing hysterically at his own joke.

"Funny." I said sarcastically. We pulled up to my house. The lights were off, which meant my dad was probably not home yet or asleep. "Thanks but no thanks."

"Bye Gardner." He said to me.

"Gardner?"

"Yeah, cause you said I couldn't call you Katherine Winifred. Gardner was the next best thing."

**A/N: tbh I find myself very funny. Sorry if a lot of letters weren't capitalized! I spilled lemonade on my keyboard bc I'm stupid oops. The shit key succcckkks now.**

**lol goats are involved in the next chapter. stick around if u like goats.**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE OTAY. I'M NOT GREEDY I SWEAR. I JUST WANT REVIEWS. DOES THAT MAKE ME GREEDY?**

**~*DEDEBUG9*~**


	3. I touched a Goat

**I'm back kids.**

**Not even going to lie, this chapter is weird, and great, and I don't know I really like it. **

**Chapter 3**  
**I touched a goat**

**June 21, 2012**

We'd been living in the house for a week, and already something went wrong.

"Wrench." My dad ordered from under the sink. I felt like a dental assistant as I handed him the tool.

My dad came out from under the sink. "Did you fix it?" I asked hopefully.

"Nah." He replied. "I just wanted to make myself a sandwich first." He pulled out some lunch meat and bread.

"Dad! Wash your hands first, that's so unsanitary!" I scolded. My father muttered something under his breath and then reminded me that the sink doesn't work.

I sighed. "We really need to fix this sink.."

As a substitute for soap and water, I handed him my strawberry hand sanitizer. Which is possibly the greatest thing on this planet and is essential to my existence. "Ew Katie, I'm going to smell like a little girl." He said and started coughing into his arm. All the more reason for him to wash his hands..

"Better to smell like a girl than have dirty hands and then catch some virus." I argued.

He didn't protest, and squirted a drop of hand sanitizer into his dirty palms. "I'm going to fix this sink once and for all. Why don't you go outside and get some fresh air."

I nodded and took my book of Edgar Allan Poe's writing outside. I sat on the front step. It seemed like an ideal place to sit, it was away from the sun but still comfortable.

I had gotten through a few poems and short stories when I felt breathing down my neck. I jumped and the heavy book went flying into a mud puddle. Travis Stoll picked up my now ruined book and handed it back to me.

"Sorry. You were really into the book.. I didn't want to disturb you." I wanted to scream. I thought I'd gotten rid of the pest, but he still kept coming back!

"Well, you kind of did." I said sourly and ripped by book out of his hands.

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "What were you reading?" He asked as if he didn't already see the cover..

"Edgar Allan Poe."

"What story? I've only read the Tell-tale Heart. But it was for school so I don't think that counts. It was some freaky shit! Like the dude thought he'd get away with killing the guy but-"

"I know what happens." I interrupted, feeling bitter about my damaged book. "I was reading Eleanora."

He sat down next to me. "What's it about?"

"I don't think you'd understand it."

He leaned in closer to me. "Try me. Just use easier words."

"Fine." I sighed and gave my own "easy" explanation of the short story. "I don't know some dude," (I tried using his terminology..) "lives with his aunt and cousin in this secluded paradise or something and he like falls in love with his cousin or some shit and then she gets sick and promises he'll never love anyone else, but he does and then she comes back to life and like gives them 'her blessing?'" I said without even taking a breath.

He frowned. "That was the stupidest thing I've ever heard. He says he'll never love anyone else but he goes off and marries some other girl? That's dumb."

"It's not dumb. Maybe if you could actually understand the words in the actual story you'd be able to appreciate great literature." I said with a sly smile.

He shook his head. "No. I still don't like it. If I was 'so in love with you, Katie' I'd never love someone else after."

I didn't say anything and we sort of sat there for a moment just thinking.

"You're so weird." I finally said.

~0~

June 22, 2012

The next day my dad didn't finish fixing the sink.  
I didn't see Travis Stoll.  
I ate some cereal.  
I bought more strawberry hand sanitizer.  
Woot woot livin' it up.

~0~

June 24, 2012

We'd officially been living in the new house for 11 days and since 11 was my dad's favorite number, my dad bought 11 cupcakes. I didn't know how we were going to eat eleven cupcakes, but buying eleven cupcakes was kind of cool.

I ate two cupcakes. My dad ate three. We now had six cupcakes.

"Slow down there, dad." I said as he picked up his fourth cupcake.

He took a bite and put it back down. "I only had 3 and a quarter so you're not allowed to yell at me for having four cupcakes." He said proudly.

"That's still a quarter too many." I said to him. He was getting older and I was starting to worry about his health you know? Heart attacks were common in our family and I didn't want anything to happen to him. He was all I had unless you count my mom. But I didn't even know what she was up to these days. I guess she was on some Mediterranean cruise with her new boyfriend?

"You know you don't have to worry about your old man, Kates. I'll be fine." I gave him a squeeze and headed outside to write.

As much as I loved reading I loved writing. As I sat outside with the summer breeze blowing lightly in my face, inspiration was at it's peak.

Sitting on the steps in front of my house was a dangerous tactic. Sitting outside made myself vulnerable to the neighbor. I wondered why I was out here anyways? No way could I, Katie Gardner, possibly want Travis Stoll to come over? That was completely out of the question.

I was mentally prepared for snarky comments when Travis came over.  
I was definitely not prepared for when Travis came over with a goat on a leash.

"What the hell is that!" I jumped up and pointed and the furry creature. I clutched my notebook to my chest. Anyone who knew me at all, new I was deathly afraid of goats. I was ready to go into hypovolemic shock at any second.

"Keep that thing away from me!" I screeched and jumped up in down. I was almost about to cry.

Connor was also there and whispered to his older brother, "You should have told me she had a goat problem."

"That never ever came up in our few conversations." He replied. "What do we do? I she afraid of Georgia?" He asked Connor. He just shrugged and they watched me panic.

"Yes!" I cried out. "To answer your goddamn question, yes! I am seriously freaked out about this goat!"

If you're wondering why I have a pathetic fear of goats, I'm here to clarify that it was because of of traumatic childhood experience. I mean, I actually have a reason okay.

"But Georgia's not scary." Connor said in a voice only used to talk to animals or babies.

"GEORGIA IS MOST DEFINITELY SCARY."

Connor and Travis Stoll stared at me. Their blue eyes were wide as could be. was it really that shocking that I was afraid of their flipping pet goat!?

"Just get the goat away and nobody gets hurt!" I told them. I was completely serious. Connor pulled the goat away, looking more concerned for Georgia's safety over mine.

Travis brought the goat back forward. "I have a different approach." He offered. "How about you face your phobia instead of forever living in fear, afraid to go out into the world, afraid everyday that you might somehow come across a goat."

"Ok! I'm not that bad!" I replied defensively "And this is not an episode of Fear Factor, Travis!"

"You're that bad." Connor said, which did not help matters.

I wanted so badly for them to get off my property, but they clearly did not get the memo.

"so how about it, Katie?" He mused.

I drew a shaky breath. I'm going to die. I'm literally going to die. This goat is going to kill me.

"A goat once bit my ass."

Travis nodded and encouraged me to continue. "A goat once bit your ass, but you're going to pet the goat because-"

Connor finished for him, "Because you're a badass bitch who isn't afraid of anything." Not exactly how I would put it, but it was good enough for me.

I swore under my breath. How did I get into this anyways? I should have called 911 the minute they stepped on our property.

"Ok." I stepped closer to the devil with fur. "Ok, ok, ok, ok." I decided to do it and face my fear. "A goat once bit my ass, but I'm going to pet it because." I let out a shaky giggle, "because I'm a badass bitch who isn't afraid of anything." and I leaned in and touched the goat.

"Oh my God." I almost fell over.

"You did it!" Travis cheered and started laughing his butt off.

"I TOUCHED A GOAT!" I screamed it at the top of my lungs. I didn't care how weird and wrong it sounded.

"I TOUCHED A FLIPPING GOAT!"

~0~

**Not even remotely close to being ashamed to admit that I really enjoyed writing this chapter.**

**Review because if Katie could face her biggest fear, you can take 2 seconds to write a short review, right?**

**Loooove,**

**~*DEDEBUG9*~**


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